Improvement in submarine sand-elevators



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l. E. MILNER.

Submarine Sand-Elevatnrs.

' Patented Feb. 24. i874.

WITNESSES J INVENTOR fl m V away,

2Sh eets--Sheet2. 1. E. MILNER.

Submarine Sand-Elevators. N0.I47,780, Patented Feb.24.1874.

AM MIND-L lrlmMP/l/C C'aM X (warm/sis Macias) UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JOHN MILNER, or en Louis, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN SUBMARINE SAND-ELEVATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,780, dated February'24, 1874; application filed October 28, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. MILNER,of the city and county of St. Louis,State of Mis souri, have invented new and useful Improvements inSubmarine Sand-Elevators, of which the following is afull, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the annexed drawingmaking partof this specification, in which Figure l is a side elevation of theelevator. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, part of the elevator being shownin section; and Fig. 3 is a view of the elevator in position.

Like letters indicate like parts.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby sand canbe elevated from the beds of rivers rapidly and economically; andconsists, chiefly, in the peculiar construction of the elevator,substantially as is hereinafter described. It also consists in the meansemployed. in preventing the condensation of the steam used in theoperation of the invention. v

In the drawing, A, Figs. 1 and 2, represents the elevator. It consistsof a ring, B, provided on its inside with a groove, I), extending aroundit. The ring B also, on its inside, above and below the position ofthegroove b, is threaded. Into the ring B a thimble, 0, Figs. 1 and 2,is screwed. The thimble, on its outside, is suitably threaded, and alsois provided with a depression or groove, 0, extending around it. hen in.position the groove 0 of the thimble is opposite the groove 1) of thering, forming an annular space, D, Fig. 2. Extending from this annularspace to the inside of the thimble,-and all around the thimble, aresmall passages c c, inclining upward. Immediately below the position ofthe perforations c c, the thimble, on its inside, contracts but furtherdown, below the level of the space D, the thimble enlarges, forming aflaring mouth to the bottom of the elevator. The thimble projects aboveand below the ring B. Into the upper end of the thimble adischarge-pipe, E, isscrewed. Its upper portion, after leaving thethimble, is gradually curved, as shown in Fig. 1.- F, Figs. 1, 2, and 3,represents a steam-supply pipe, extending from a steam-generator, G, tothe ring B. Just before entering the ring the pipe F forks into twosmaller pipes, ff, which connect with the space D at opposite sidesthereof, as shown more distinctly in Fig. 2. H, Fig. 3, represents acasing inclosing the elevator, and also the steam-pipe F to a pointabove the waterline. It serves as a jacket, and also to support theelevator. Attached to the upper end of the casing is a rope, that passesup over a derrick, I, which rests upon the barge J. .By this means theelevator can be raised or lowcred.

In operation, the casing containing the elevator is lowered to thebottom of the river, the mouth of the thimble resting on the sand. Steamthen being admitted to the space D, and thence through the passages c c,&c., into the upper part of the thimble, an upward current of sand andwater through the discharge-pipe to the deck of the barge is caused. Asthe sand is removed, forming a depression in the river bottom, thecasing is allowed to sink down. It is found in practice, to secure aneffectual Working of the elevator at a depth of more than eight feet,that the following conditions must exist: The passages c c, &o., mustextend uniformly around the thimble, and the main steam-pipe must forkand connect at opposite sides of the elevator, this for the purpose ofmaintaining an even pressure and amount of steam all around the. insideof the thimble, and in consequence a uniform action upon the sand andwater below; secondly, the steam-pipe and elevator must be protectedfrom the chilling influence of the water.

Having described my invention, what Iclaim as new therein is l. Theelevator A, consisting of the ring B, constructed as described, thethimble 0, constructed as described, the steam-pipe F, provided with theforks f f, and the dischargepipe E, all arranged and operatingsubstantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with the elevator Aand steam-pipe F, the casing H, asand for the purpose specified.

JOHN E. MILNER.

